Water-heater.



J. H. FREEMAN.

WATER HEATER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1903. nnnnwnn JAN. 13, 1910.

QM l": I can ca JOSEPH H. FREEMAN, OF NEW YORK, N.

sra'irns PAINT Y.,.ASSIGNOR TO AUTOMATIC WATER HEATER COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WATER-HEATER.

Patented Apr. 18, 1911. Renewed January 13, 1910. Serial No. 537,929.

To aZZ witom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn H. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, in the State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in \Vater-Hcaters, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to water heaters and particularly to valvemechanism for auto matically controlling the supply of fuel to waterheaters by the flow of water therethrough.

The object of the invention is to provide a compact, simple mechanism bywhich the fuel valve may be automatically controlled, and reliably so,by the pressure of the water supplied to the heater or by slightdifferencesm pressure produced by the flow of water through the heater.These and other objects of the invention will more fully appear from thefollowing description.

The invention consists in the novel parts, improvements, andcombinations herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing, which is referred to herein and forms a parthereof, illustrates one embodiment of the invention and serves inconnection with the description herein to explain the principlesthereof.

The drawing represents a vertical central section of a valve mechanismconstructed in accordance with the invention.

A valve mechanism constructed in accordance with this inventioncomprises a casing having water inlet and outlet passages; a fuel valveopening member arranged to establish communication between the inlet andoutlet passages, when in one position, and to interrupt saidcommunication, when in another position; a fuel valve closing membersubject to water pressure on one side only and having an effective areaas large as that of the fuel valve opening member; a fuel valve; andconnections between said members and the fuel valve, said connectionsbeing such that the movement of the fuel valve opening member is greaterthan the movement of the fuel valve closing member for a given movementof the fuel valve.

In accordance with the best embodiment of the invention, the fuel valveoperating members consist of pistons suitably mounted in an inclosingcasing and so connected to each other and to the fuel valve that thepiston located between the water inlet and outlet passages hassuiiicient power to overcome the pressure exerted by the water on theother piston and to open the fuel valve notwithstanding the fact thatthe area of the first mentioned piston is no greater than that of thesecond piston.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention illustrated, 1represents a casing having, formed out of alinement with each other, twoparts or branches in which pistons 2 and 3 are fitted. The water inletpassage 4 communicates with the casing 1 between the pistons 2 and 3,and a water outlet passage communicates with the chamber in the casingon the opposite side of the piston 2 from the inlet passage 4. As shown,the two. branches of the casing 1 are arranged at substantially rightangles, the upper branch in which the piston 2 is located beinghorizontal and closed at the end opposite the inlet passage 4 by aremovable plug 6. The connection between the pistons in the constructionshown consists of a lever 7 which is fulcrumed at 8 on a lug projectingfrom the inner wall of the lower branch of the casing, and is pivotally'connected at its upper end by means of a link 9 with the piston 2.Lever 7 is pivoted by a suitable pin and slot to the upper end of thevalve rod 9 to which the piston 3 is connected. The valve rod 9 projectsthrough the lower open end of the casing 1 and into the casing 10, whereit is provided with a fuel controlling valve 11,. a stuffing box 12being provided to prevent the escape of gas around the rod 9. To holdthe parts in alinement the casing 1 is connected to the casing 10 by asuitable spider connection 13. To prevent leakage of water through thelower open end of the casing 1, the piston 3 is preferably provided witha cup-leather packing 14. The pressure on the opposite sides of thepiston 2 is balanced in a suitable manner, as by a loose fit of thepiston 2 or by a restricted passage 15 formed by a perforation in thecasing.

The operation of the device is as follows: The inlet passage 4 beingconnected with the water maill, and the outlet passage 5 with theheater, the pressure of the water acting on the piston 3 will draw thepiston 2 forward, and force the fuel valve llto ts seat, the pressure onopposite sides of piston 2 being balanced as aforesaid through therestricted passage 15 in the casing or by a loose fit of the piston 2.When water is drawn throu h the heater, the pressure on the rear of thepiston 2 will be reduced and the pressure of water on the forwardsurface of said piston acting through the long arm of the lever 7 willraise the piston 3 and the fuel valve 11 and permit a ,flow of fuel tothe heater, and-the flow of fuel will be maintained so long as a flow ofwater is maintained which is greater than can be supplied through therestricted passage by a difference in pressure sufiicient to move thepiston 2 against the force acting on the piston 3.

If desired, of course, the valve may be connected between the heater andthe delivery faucetsinstead of between the heater and the water main.

My invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the particularconstruction shown, as many changes may'be made in the constructionwithout departing from the main principles of the invention and withoutsacrificing its chief advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Pat-- cut is: V

1. In an automatic valve mechanism for water heaters, the combinationwith a fuel. controlling valve of a casing provided with water inlet andoutlet passages and a piston chamber having two branches arranged out ofalinement with each other, one of said branches being located betweenthe water inlet and outlet passages, and the other com-- municating withthe atmosphere; a piston in each chamber; and connections between saidpistons and the. fuel valve, said connections being such that themovement of the piston between the inlet and outlet passages is greaterthan the movement of the other iston for a given movement of the fuel vave.

2. In an automatic valve mechanism for water heaters, the combinationwith a fuel controlling valve of a casing provided with water inlet andoutlet passages and a piston chamber having two branches arranged out ofalinement with each other, one of said branches being located betweenthe water inlet and outlet passages, and the other communicating withthe atmosphere; and a piston in each chamber and connections between thepiston and the fuel valve, said pistons having equal effective areas.

3. In an automatic valve mechanism for water heaters, the combinationwith a fuel controlling valve of a casing provided with water inlet andoutlet passages and a piston chamber having two branches arranged out ofalinement with each other, one of said branches being located betweenthe water inlet and outlet passages, and the other communicating withthe atmosphere; a piston in each chamber; a lever having unequal armsconnecting said pistons, the longer arm being connected to the pistonbetween the inlet and outlet passages; and connections between one ofsaid pistons and the fuel valve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, JOSEPH I-I. FREEMAN.

Witnesses E. CAMBRELENG, JOHN O. GAMPLER;

